If the enemy has a powerful army,
And his commander is prudent and wise.
You better appeal to his feelings
To soften the warrior spirit.

You cannot openly resist a mighty army and a wise commander. You should not give lands to the enemy or give him gold and silk. This will increase his power and wealth. The only offering that can weaken such an enemy is beautiful women. Such a gift will weaken his will, harm his health and generate grumbling among his subordinates.

The ruler of the kingdom of Jin wanted to annex the two neighboring fiefs of Guo and Yu to his possessions. He did not want to go on a military campaign to foreign lands, and then adviser Xin Xi said to his ruler:

- In ancient books on the art of war it is said: “beautiful girls can silence smart advisers.” In the kingdom of Guo there are wise advisers who can influence the ruler's intention through words. You need to give him a beautiful woman who can influence his feelings. Then he will watch rather than listen, and turmoil will begin in the kingdom.

Ruler Guo received an amazingly beautiful woman as a gift from the Jin kingdom. Now he paid attention only to his beauty. He became so attached to the girl that he stopped listening to the advice of his associates and forgot about state affairs. Soon his kingdom perished.

Then Xin Xi said to the ruler of Jin:
- In ancient books on the art of war it is said: “handsome young men drive away gray-haired elders.”

On his next visit, King Jin presented Lord Yu with a handsome young man. Ruler Yu no longer wanted to listen to his advisors. He went everywhere with a handsome “adviser” and gave orders destructive to his kingdom. He did not pay attention to the fact that the beauty and speech of the young man deprived him of his fighting spirit and power. As a result, the Yu kingdom also fell into decline and was easily brought under Jin rule.